Titans (2018 TV series)

Titans
Genre
Based on Characters from DC Comics
Developed by
Starring
Composer(s)
Country of origin United States
Original language(s) English
No. of seasons 1
No. of episodes 1 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producer(s)
  • Akiva Goldsman
  • Geoff Johns
  • Greg Berlanti
  • Sarah Schechter
  • Greg Walker
  • John Fawcett
Producer(s) Robert Ortiz
Production location(s) Toronto, Ontario
Cinematography Boris Mojsovski
Editor(s)
  • Tirsa Hackshaw
  • Brian Wessel
Camera setup Single-camera
Running time 50 minutes
Production company(s)
Distributor
Release
Original network DC Universe
Original release October 12, 2018 (2018-10-12) – present (present)
Chronology
Related shows Doom Patrol

Titans is an American web television series that airs on DC Universe, based on the DC Comics team of the same name. Akiva Goldsman, Geoff Johns, and Greg Berlanti created the series, which sees Brenton Thwaites star as Dick Grayson / Robin, the leader of the Titans, alongside Anna Diop, Teagan Croft, and Ryan Potter as Starfire, Raven, and Beast Boy, respectively. Titans premiered on October 12, 2018 and is set to comprise 12 episodes. Ahead of the series' premiere, Titans was renewed for a second season.

A live-action series based on the Teen Titans entered development in September 2014 for the cable channel TNT, with Goldsman and Marc Haimes writing the pilot. The pilot had been ordered by December 2014, but never came to fruition, with TNT announcing in January 2016 it would no longer be moving forward with the project. In April 2017, it was announced that the series was being redeveloped for DC Comics' new direct-to-consumer digital service, with Goldsman, Johns, and Berlanti attached. Brenton Thwaites was cast as Dick Grayson in September 2017, and other series regulars were cast between August and October 2017. In May 2018, the spin-off series Doom Patrol was announced, which will pick up after the events of Titans.

Premise

When Dick Grayson / Robin and Rachel Roth / Raven require assistance to deal with a plot that threatens the entire planet, they join forces with Koriand'r / Starfire and Gar Logan / Beast Boy to form the Titans.[1]

Cast and characters

Main

Recurring

Guest

  • April Bowlby as Rita Farr / Elasti-Woman: A member of the Doom Patrol and former actress, who developed the power to shrink and grow after being exposed to a toxic gas.[13][14]
  • Jake Michaels as Clifford Steele / Robotman: A member of the Doom Patrol and former car racer, whose brain was transplanted into a robotic body after an accident destroyed his body.[15]
  • Dwain Murphy as Larry Trainor / Negative Man: A member of the Doom Patrol and former pilot, who crashed into negative energy and is now wrapped in bandages from head to toe.[16]
  • Curran Walters as Jason Todd / Robin: Batman's current Robin. Showrunner Greg Walker loved "the unbridled sense of self that [Jason] has - there’s a lack of... maybe self-awareness, but for sure self-consciousness in terms of how he comports himself and how he moves through the world. He’s completely seemingly unaffected by darkness - he kind of embraces it or walks right through it. He’s a breath of fresh air and that’s what I love about him, he’s got a punk rock, no-holds-barred attitude that’s massively unburdened. There’s a lot of energy that comes with that."[17]
  • Conor Leslie as Donna Troy / Wonder Girl[18]
  • Elliot Knight as Don Hall / Dove[19]
  • Mark Antony Krupa as Konstantin Kovar[20]
  • Sherilyn Fenn as Angela: Raven's mother[21]
  • Jarreth J. Merz as The Acolyte[21]

Episodes

No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal release date [22][23]Prod.
code
1"Titans"Brad AndersonAkiva Goldsman, Geoff Johns and Greg BerlantiOctober 12, 2018 (2018-10-12)T15.10146
Following her mother's murder at the hands of a mysterious assailant, troubled teen Rachel Roth exhibits telekinetic powers and flees town. Detroit detective Dick Grayson fights crime at night using his vigilante persona, Robin. Rachel is picked up by Detroit police, recognizes Dick from her nightmares, and asks him for help. By the time he realizes that she was telling the truth about her mother, Rachel has been drugged and abducted. Meanwhile, in Vienna, Austria, Kory Anders awakens in a bullet-ridden car wreck with no memory of her identity. She finds her way to gangster Konstantin Kovar, whom she has apparently betrayed in her search for a certain girl—Rachel. When Kovar attempts to shoot her, she releases a fiery power that incinerates everyone else in the room. About to be ritually slain by the man who killed her mother, Rachel blacks out as a dark version of herself emerges and kills her would-be murderer. Dick arrives, and takes her off to safety. In Covington, Ohio, a green tiger raids an electronics store and flees, transforming to a green-skinned human boy in the forest.
2"Hawk and Dove"[24]TBATBAOctober 19, 2018 (2018-10-19)TBA
3"Starfire"[24]TBATBAOctober 26, 2018 (2018-10-26)TBA
4"Rachel"[24]TBATBANovember 2, 2018 (2018-11-02)TBA
5"The Doom Patrol"[24]John Fawcett[25]Geoff Johns[25]November 9, 2018 (2018-11-09)TBA
6"The Messenger"[24]TBATBANovember 16, 2018 (2018-11-16)TBA
7"Jason Todd"[24]TBATBANovember 23, 2018 (2018-11-23)TBA
8"Angela"[24]TBATBANovember 30, 2018 (2018-11-30)TBA
9"Donna Troy"[24]TBATBADecember 7, 2018 (2018-12-07)TBA

Production

Development

A potential live-action Titans project for cable channel TNT was announced in September 2014.[26] By December 2014, a pilot written by Akiva Goldsman and Marc Haimes had been ordered that would feature Dick Grayson emerging from Batman's shadow to become Nightwing, the leader of a band of heroes including Starfire, Raven, Oracle, and Hawk and Dove. The pilot was set with filming to occur in Toronto in the mid-2015.[27][28] In May 2015, TNT president Kevin Reilly said that they hoped to have the casting locked down by the start of filming and that the show would be "very true" to the comics and "groundbreaking".[29] The series, called Titans and then Blackbirds, was first set to begin shooting in Toronto in mid-2015.[30] Production was then postponed to October.[31] In January 2016, it was announced that TNT would no longer be moving forward with the project.[32][33] In February 2016, Geoff Johns stated "We [at DC] have known about [TNT nixing Titans] for months and months and months. That's not new news to us. We have plans for Titans. It's a huge piece of DC and we have plans."[34] Greg Walker and John Fawcett were added as executive producers starting with the second season.[35]

In April 2017, Warner Bros. announced that Titans would debut in 2018 on DC Comics' own direct-to-consumer digital service. The series is being developed by Akiva Goldsman, Johns, Greg Berlanti and Sarah Schechter, with Goldsman, Johns and Berlanti writing the pilot episode. All are also executive producers of the series for Weed Road Pictures and Berlanti Productions in association with Warner Bros Television.[36] In October 2018, Titans was renewed for a second season ahead of the series' premiere at New York Comic Con.[35] The same month, Johns teased that a "new" version of Deathstroke will eventually appear in the show.[37]

Writing

Johns noted the series was inspired mostly by the Teen Titans comics of the 1960s, since that comics run "had so much drama" and "was so revolutionary for its time". He added, "We really wanted to lean into the idea that every Titan of these Titans is a doorway into another genre. With Rachel [a.k.a. Raven], it's the supernatural and the horror, and the first season's really focuses on who Raven is and how the Titans galvanize around her." Johns also felt the series would be "a little more adult" than the television series Riverdale, calling it "not necessarily a teen drama, [but] more of an adventure piece."[38]

Casting

In early August 2017, Teagan Croft was cast as Raven,[5] followed at the end of the month with the casting of Anna Diop as Starfire,[4] and Brenton Thwaites as Dick Grayson / Robin.[2][3] In October 2017, Ryan Potter was cast as Beast Boy.[7]

In early September 2017, Alan Ritchson and Minka Kelly were cast in the recurring roles of Hank Hall / Hawk and Dawn Granger / Dove, respectively.[8][9] By the end of the month, Lindsey Gort had been cast as Amy Rohrbach.[10] In January 2018, Seamus Dever was cast in an undisclosed role,[11] and a month later, members of the Doom Patrol were announced with Bruno Bichir as Niles Caulder / Chief,[12] April Bowlby as Rita Farr / Elasti-Girl,[13] Jake Michaels as Clifford Steele / Robotman,[15] and Dwain Murphy as Larry Trainor / Negative Man.[16] Curran Walters and Conor Leslie appear as Jason Todd and Donna Troy / Wonder Girl, respectively.[17][18]

Filming

Filming for the first season began on November 15, 2017, in Toronto, Ontario,[39][40] concluding on June 28, 2018.[41]

Release

Titans premiered on October 12, 2018, and is set to comprise 12 episodes, with new episodes releasing on DC Universe every week.[22][23] The first episode will be screened on October 3, 2018, at New York Comic Con.[22] The series is set to stream via Netflix outside the United States.[42]

Reception

Critical reception for the first three episodes of Titans have been mixed to positive. Critics have praised the acting performances, particularly those of Thwaites, Diop, and Ritchson, and the show's humor, while others have criticized the show's use of violence.[43] Susana Polo of Polygon praised Titans for "tempering brutal violence and dark subject matter with humor—and by giving its characters plenty of time to stretch, breathe and become attached to one another".[44] Charlie Ridgely of Comicbook.com wrote that Diop "conveys so much wonder and intrigue with her subtle and genuine expressions, but there is a consistent fierceness and tenacity that is always lurking just beneath the surface". Rosie Knight of Nerdist wrote that the "cast is at the core of what makes Titans so enjoyable", while giving praise to the script as well.[45]

Forbes contributor Merrill Barr compared the show to The CW's Riverdale, describing it as "a dark and gritty series very far removed from the image the Teen Titans have garnered through a variety of animated outings over the last decades". Barr argued that viewers "that take the tone in stride are going to find themselves in the middle of a series dialed directly into their interests".[46]

Conversely, Kevin Yeoman of Screen Rant was critical of the show's excessive violence, writing that Titans "doesn’t put forward any new or particularly compelling thoughts about its characters or about superheroes in general".[47] Similarly, Vinne Mancuso of Collider said that "if you’re just a fan of some good old-fashioned ultra-violence and moody storytelling, this simply isn’t a well-done example of that".[48]

Spin-off

In May 2018, DC Universe announced the live-action series Doom Patrol, consisting of 13 episodes, had received a direct-to-series order. Developed by Jeremy Carver, Berlanti, and Johns (who also serves as executive producers along with Schechter) for Warner Bros. Television and Berlanti Productions, the series will pick up from the events of Titans and see the Doom Patrol, comprising Robotman, Negative Man, Elasti-Girl, Crazy Jane, and led by Dr. Niles "The Chief" Caulder, take on a mission given to them by Cyborg. Production is expected to begin in 2018, with Carver writing for the series, with a scheduled release in 2019.[49][50] Brendan Fraser and Riley Shanahan were cast to replace Jake Michaels as Robotman. Fraser voices the character and appears as Steele in flashbacks, while Shanahan physically portrays Robotman.[51] Additionally, Timothy Dalton was cast to replace Bichir as Caulder.[52]

References

  1. 1 2 "Introducing DC Universe: A First-of-its-Kind Digital Subscription Service Designed Especially For Fans". DC Comics Blog. June 28, 2018. Retrieved July 1, 2018.
  2. 1 2 Andreeva, Nellie (August 31, 2017). "'Titans': Brenton Thwaites To Play Lead Dick Grayson In DC Live-Action Series". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved September 6, 2017.
  3. 1 2 Petski, Denise (December 1, 2017). "'Titans': Brenton Thwaites As Robin In DC Superhero Series – First-Look Photo". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved December 4, 2017.
  4. 1 2 Andreeva, Nellie (August 23, 2017). "'Titans': Anna Diop Cast As Starfire In Live-Action Series For DC Digital Service". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved September 6, 2017.
  5. 1 2 Andreeva, Nellie (August 3, 2017). "Titans: Teagan Croft Cast As Raven In Live-Action Series For DC Digital Service". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved September 6, 2017.
  6. ↑ Agard, Chancellor (September 13, 2018). "DC Universe's Titans unite in exclusive new image". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved September 14, 2018.
  7. 1 2 Andreeva, Nellie (October 18, 2017). "'Titans': Ryan Potter Cast As Beast Boy In Live-Action Series For DC Digital Service". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved October 18, 2017.
  8. 1 2 Andreeva, Nellie (September 7, 2017). "Titans: Alan Ritchson Cast As Hawk In DC Live-Action Series". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved September 7, 2017.
  9. 1 2 Andreeva, Nellie (September 7, 2017). "Titans: Minka Kelly Cast As Dove In DC Live-Action Series". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved September 7, 2017.
  10. 1 2 Ausiello, Michael (September 29, 2017). "Lindsey Gort Joins DC's Titans as Robin's New [Spoiler]". TVLine. Retrieved September 29, 2017.
  11. 1 2 Petski, Denise (January 17, 2018). "Quantico Casts Vandit Bhatt; Seamus Dever Joins Titans; Jimmie Saito In Sweetbitter". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved January 17, 2018.
  12. 1 2 Petski, Denise (February 15, 2018). "Titans: Bruno Bichir Cast As The Chief In DC Live-Action Series". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 15, 2018.
  13. 1 2 Abrams, Natalie (February 20, 2018). "Titans casts Drop Dead Diva star as Elasti-Girl". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved February 21, 2018.
  14. ↑ Andreeva, Nellie (July 13, 2018). "'Doom Patrol': April Bowlby To Play Elasti-Woman In DC Universe Live-Action Series". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved July 13, 2018.
  15. 1 2 Burlingame, Russ (February 22, 2018). "Titans Casts the Doom Patrol's Robotman". Comicbook.com. Retrieved February 23, 2018. templatestyles stripmarker in |website= at position 1 (help)
  16. 1 2 Cecchini, Mike (February 28, 2018). "Titans TV Series Doom Patrol Adds Negative Man (Exclusive)". Den of Geek. Retrieved February 28, 2018.
  17. 1 2 Prudom, Laura (September 13, 2018). "Titans Exclusive Photos: Jason Todd Faces Off With Dick Grayson - IGN First". IGN. Retrieved September 14, 2018.
  18. 1 2 Ridgely, Charlie (June 12, 2018). "Looks Like Donna Troy Is Confirmed for 'Titans' TV Show". Comicbook.com. Retrieved June 12, 2018.
  19. ↑ Melendez, Marcos (August 14, 2018). "EXCLUSIVE: Elliot Knight Joins DC's 'TITANS' As Don Hall, The Original Dove". SuperBroMovies. Retrieved August 14, 2018.
  20. ↑ "DC Universe's Titans season 1 premiere recap". showsnob. October 12, 2018.
  21. 1 2 "DC's Titans: Cast & Character Guide". screenrant. October 12, 2018.
  22. 1 2 3 Ramos, Dino-Ray (August 29, 2018). "DC Universe Digital Subscription Service To Launch On Batman Day; Sets Titans Premiere". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on August 30, 2018. Retrieved August 29, 2018.
  23. 1 2 Anderson, Jenna (August 29, 2018). "Titans Release Date Revealed for DC Universe". Comocbook.com. Retrieved August 29, 2018.
  24. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Malone, Julius (May 3, 2018). "Titans: First 9 episodes for upcoming DC Universe series revealed". AiPT!. Retrieved May 4, 2018.
  25. 1 2 Erao, Matthew (February 9, 2018). "Geoff Johns Confirms Doom Patrol For Titans Live-Action TV Show". Screen Rant. Retrieved May 8, 2018.
  26. ↑ Friedlander, Whitney (September 11, 2014). "TNT Eyes Titans Superhero Series". Variety. Retrieved December 23, 2016.
  27. ↑ Goldberg, Lesley (December 8, 2014). "Syfy, David Goyer Developing Superman Origin Story Krypton". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on December 23, 2014. Retrieved December 8, 2014.
  28. ↑ Diaz, Eric (February 2, 2015). "Exclusive: Which DC Characters Will Be On TNT's The Titans". Nerdist. Archived from the original on February 2, 2015.
  29. ↑ Lealos, Shawn S. (May 13, 2015). "Teen Titans TV Show Promises to Remain True to Comics". Renegade Cinema. Archived from the original on May 19, 2015.
  30. ↑ Lulla (June 26, 2015). "Titans TNT Pilot DC Comics now entitled Blackbirds". Season Zero. Archived from the original on September 22, 2015.
  31. ↑ Luclla (June 26, 2015). "Blackbirds (Titans) TNT pilot from DC Comics postponed…". Season Zero. Archived from the original on March 13, 2015.
  32. ↑ White, Brett (January 7, 2016). "DC's Live-Action Titans Series Not Moving Forward at TNT". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on November 5, 2016. TNT president Kevin Reilly revealed that production on the long in-development drama series based on DC's Teen Titans property has been stopped.
  33. ↑ Friedlander, Whitney (January 7, 2016). "TNT Not Moving Forward with DC Comics Drama Titans". Variety. Retrieved December 23, 2016.
  34. ↑ Mitovich, Matt Webb (February 2, 2016). "Matt's Inside Line: Scoop on Once, Flash, Lucifer, Suits, 24, Titans, HTGAWM, Castle, NCIS: LA and More". TVLine. Archived from the original on June 26, 2016.
  35. 1 2 "'Titans' Renewed For Season 2 By DC Universe Ahead Of Premiere". deadline. October 3, 2018.
  36. ↑ Andreeva, Nellie (April 25, 2017). "DC Digital Service To Launch With Titans Series From Greg Berlanti & Akiva Goldsman And Young Justice: Outsiders". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved April 25, 2017.
  37. ↑ "'Titans' Confirms A New Version Of Deathstroke". comicbook.con. October 4, 2018.
  38. ↑ Alexander, Julia; Polo, Susana (July 19, 2018). "Robin's 'Fuck Batman' Titans trailer line, explained by DC's Geoff Johns". Polygon. Retrieved July 20, 2018.
  39. ↑ "Current Productions & News". City of Toronto. Archived from the original on March 20, 2018. Retrieved March 20, 2018.
  40. ↑ Vlessing, Etan (December 12, 2017). "Pinewood Toronto to Double Production Space as Hollywood Takes City to Full Capacity". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved December 28, 2017.
  41. ↑ Shaw-Williams, Hannah (June 28, 2018). "Brenton Thwaites Posts Moody Robin Photo to Celebrate Titans Wrap". Screen Rant. Retrieved July 16, 2018.
  42. ↑ Andreeva, Nellie (October 1, 2018). "Titans: Netflix To Distribute New DC Universe Series Internationally". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved October 1, 2018.
  43. ↑ Titans: Season 1 - Rotten Tomatoes, retrieved 2018-10-04
  44. ↑ "DC's Titans series review: There's more to it than 'F**k Batman'". Polygon.
  45. ↑ "DC Universe's Titans Is Surprising, Compelling, and Full of Great Characters". Nerdist. 2018-10-04. Retrieved 2018-10-04.
  46. ↑ Barr, Merrill. "Titans Review: The Riverdale Of DC Comics Adaptations". Forbes. Retrieved 2018-10-04.
  47. ↑ "DC Universe's Titans Goes Predictably Dark In Its Premiere". Screen Rant. 2018-10-04. Retrieved 2018-10-04.
  48. ↑ "Titans Review: Teen Titans, No". Collider. 2018-10-04. Retrieved 2018-10-04.
  49. ↑ Goldberg, Lesley (May 14, 2018). "'Doom Patrol' Live-Action Series From Greg Berlanti Set at DC Digital Service". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved May 14, 2018.
  50. ↑ Petski, Denise (May 14, 2018). "'Doom Patrol' Live-Action Drama Series From Greg Berlanti Greenlighted By DC Universe". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved May 14, 2018.
  51. ↑ Andreeva, Nellie (August 21, 2018). "'Doom Patrol': Brendan Fraser To Star As Robotman In DC Universe TV Series". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved August 21, 2018.
  52. ↑ Andreeva, Nellie (September 5, 2018). "'Doom Patrol': Timothy Dalton To Star As The Chief In DC Universe TV Series". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved September 5, 2018.
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